The First Fallen

StarringCinematographyLucas BarbiEdited byRodrigo de OliveiraMusic byGiovani CidreiraColor processcolorDistributed byOlhar DistribuidoraJuly 7, 2022 (2022-07-07)107Country BrazilLanguagePortuguese

The First Fallen (in Portuguese: Os Primeiros Soldados, lit. "The First Soldiers") is a 2022 Brazilian drama film directed and written by Rodrigo de Oliveira. Starring Johnny Massaro [pt], Renata Carvalho and Victor Camilo, the film portrays members of the LGBTQ community fighting the AIDS epidemic in the early 1980s. It also features the performances of Clara Choveaux [pt], Alex Bonin, Higor Campagnaro and Daniel Monjardim.^[1]

Plot

Set in Vitória, Espírito Santo, in the early 1980s, the film is a tribute to the individuals who faced AIDS and the stigma that accompanied it in its early days. The plot follows the journey of Suzano (Johnny Massaro [pt]), a biology student who has just returned from studying abroad. Aware that something unknown is affecting his body, he seeks to understand the disease and find a cure, while at the same time protecting his sister Maura (Clara Choveaux [pt]) and his nephew Muriel (Alex Bonin) from the impacts of what is to come. The lack of information about the virus and its uncertain future leads Suzano to approach transgender performer Rose (Renata Carvalho) and film student Humberto (Victor Camilo), both living with the virus.^[2]

Cast

• Johnny Massaro [pt] as Suzano Morais
• Renata Carvalho as Rose
• Victor Camilo as Humberto
• Clara Choveaux [pt] as Maura Morais
• Alex Bonin as Muriel Morais
• Higor Campagnaro as Joca
• Daniel Monjardim as Ramon
• Vinícius Duarte as Juan
• Jackson Leão as Luiz
• Matheus Muniz as Vicente
• Carlos Rosado as Dr. Caesar
• Verônica Gomes as Nurse Norma
• Remi Stengel as Adrian (voice)

Production

The First Fallen was produced by Pique-Bandeira Filmes, and its original screenplay was developed from research into real cases that occurred in Vitória, Espírito Santo.^[2] When researching the film, Rodrigo Oliveira noticed that deaths in Espírito Santo only began to be counted in 1985, despite "newspaper headlines, groups of friends, and the silence of nightclubs" indicating the first deaths from HIV/AIDS were prior to this date.^[3] The premise of The First Fallen was to imagine the impact of HIV/AIDS on the first infected people would be. The characters Rose, Suzano, and Humberto, become united by the physical and emotional adversity of the then-mysterious disease.^[3]

The film also aimed to show some of the venues that may have been frequented by LGBTQ people at the time when, as well as the prejudice they received.^[3] Although the film features death and other delicate themes at various points in the plot, director Rodrigo Oliveira believes that the film is not about an end, but about new beginnings and ways to survive and live with the virus, saying: "At that time [in which the film is set], death was very likely, but that does not erase the taste, the pleasure, the pain, and the delight of having lived, even without knowing what was happening to oneself".^[3]

Development

The director highlighted the work of an all-queer cast that worked within the LGBTQ community, following the spirit of the film.^[4] He stated that he would always have queer actors playing queer roles for this purpose.^[4] The actors Johnny Massaro, Clara Choveaux, and Alex Bonini all lived together as a family in an apartment in Rio de Janeiro. Rodrigo Oliveira explained in an interview that the intention was to create authentic relationships and a sense of belonging among the actors so that everything seemed as natural as possible when filming began.^[4] Massaro, Vitor Camilo, and Renata Carvalho lived together on a farm in Domingos Martins to prepare for their roles in the film.^[4]

The production faced a major challenge in trying to recreate the city of Vitória in the early 1980s, due to budget constraints.^[4] The director emphasizes decided to identify which locations in present-day Vitória still maintained the appearance of 1983.^[4] The fictional gay club Genet, which in the film is located on Maria Ortiz's Staircase [wikidata] in the Historic Center, was recreated within the premises of Hotel Cidade Alta.^[4] According to the director, funding for The First Fallen was made possible through the call from the State Department of Culture (Secult), in collaboration with the Fundo Setorial do Audiovisual [pt] (FSA).^[4]

Release and reception

The First Fallen premiered internationally at the 70th Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival (IFFMH), in Germany, on November 12, 2021. It was awarded the Best Film statuettes by the Young Jury and Best Film by the Audience Award.^[5] The film had its Asian premiere at the 52nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI), in Goa, where actress Renata Carvalho, who plays the character Rose, received the Special Jury Prize.^[5] The film had its national premiere at the Rio Film Festival, between December 9 and December 19, with in-person sessions.^[6] On July 7, 2022, the film premiered commercially in cinemas throughout Brazil by Olhar Distribuição.^[2] In Espírito Santo, the film was shown at Cine Metrópolis, located on the campus of the Federal University of Espírito Santo (UFES) in Vitória.^[4]

Critical response

The film received positive reviews since its release. Renata Carvalho's performance in particular received critical acclaim. In its screening at the 52nd International Film Festival of India, the official jury awarded Carvalho a special trophy, saying that her "contribution to the film goes beyond the performance. She brought authenticity to the complexities of the situation and the era portrayed in society".^[5]

In Michel Guwilen's review on Plano Critico, he says that The First Fallen functions as a retroactive exercise, affecting the viewer's feelings after having seen the film. He says the film shows an extreme transformation movement from the middle of the film, demanding that the viewer rethink everything that was seen previously. Guwilen also highlights that the film's lacunar state, which is filled in later, as one of its main characteristics.^[7]

Lucas Lopes Aflitos, a critic from Cine Set, praised the cast, saying that his highlights included Johnny Massaro, who delivered an excellent interpretation of his melancholic, catatonic, and withdrawn character.^[8] He adds that the film is important, bringing to light the issue of HIV/AIDS and its stigmatization, noting that even today, the disease is seen as a "gay disease" by some, when in fact those considered heterosexual are the ones most infected.^[8]

Bruno Ghetti, a critic for the Folha de S.Paulo, stated in his review that the film starts without much unity, with characters appearing and disappearing without control by the director. In particular, he criticized a scene where Suzano reappears distributing photos of his own sick body at a party, which seemed too sensationalist for the character. However, Ghetti also praised the second half of the film, which he considered extraordinarily solid. He was especially moved by the scenes on the farm, where the protagonists film themselves on VHS to immortalize their story, and considered the film moving as a whole.^[9]

Awards and nominations

Year	Associations	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
2021	Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival	Best Film (Young Jury)	The First Fallen	Won	[5]
		Best Film (Audience Award)		Won
	International Film Festival of India	Special Jury Prize	Renata Carvalho	Won
	Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival	Acting Jury Prize		Won
2022	Mostra de Cinema de Tiradentes	Best Film (Olhos Livres Showcase)	The First Fallen	Won	[10]

References

External links

• The First Fallen at IMDb